Of Kryptonians and Queens
by Michael Weyer
Summary: IC Phase One. A new arrival in National City leads Kara to the shocking secret of Lena Luthor. Now she must choose between the friend she knew and the monster she has become.
1. Chapter 1

**Of Kryptonians and Queens**

 **By Michael Weyer**

 **So starting off with the first of various stories in the aftermath of Infinity Crisis so it helps if you read that first. Obviously don't own either Supergirl or Merlin so hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Flying over National City was always a calming feeling for Kara. She needed it after the last few weeks. All the people taken in "the Dusting" (as the media had called it) had been restored. Sadly, the after effects of half the planet vanishing in an instant were still being felt. The death toll via accidents, crashed planes and more was still being felt as more than a few of those brought back from dust had to endure finding loved ones gone. It was a shakeup and Kara had been busy helping Kal out around the world to fix some disasters. It may have been quieting down but it was still a rough aftermath.

But it was a distraction Kara needed. With Mon-El and Winn gone, things were quieter while Alex was busy as the new director of the DEO. At least J'onn was still around but it just seemed a bit off for Kara. It wasn't helped by how Lena had basically been cutting herself off from everyone. Kara had tried to approach her, both as herself and in costume but was told she was busy. It troubled her, especially given that Lillian was still out there somewhere. She regretted the break between the duo and hoped something could fix it…

She stopped in place as her ears picked up something. It sounded like one of the breaches Cisco made with the odd sucking sound. Tapping a finger to her earpiece, Kara spoke. "Supergirl to DEO."

There was a pause before a familiar voice came on. " _This is Lane, what have you got_?"

Kara had to smile. Lucy Lane's return to the DEO had been a surprise but a welcome one. It seemed she'd been one of the people "dusted" which pushed her to decide to take on a more strident approach by working with the DEO. Having her around was a good help as she was making up for the loss of Winn in terms of hacking tactics and science. "I'm sensing something…like a breach."

" _We were just about to call you. We're detecting a disturbance, some sort of portal about four blocks from your location."_

"I'm on it." Kara replied as she flew over. It took seconds to find the portal, darker than the ones Cisco made. As she arrived, a figure stepped through it, clad in a large cloak and hood over his head with a long staff clutched in one hand. Kara's eyes peered and she was thrown to find she couldn't see through the cloak with her x-ray vision.

The effort seemed to alert the intruder as he looked up to her but much of his face remaining in shadow. "Hi there," Kara said in a polite tone. "New in town?"

The man simply glared as Kara nodded. "All right, the silent type. Now, I'm guessing you're from another Earth and I'm really hoping you're a good guy. However, we have had some rough experiences so I hope you'll understand if I just take you in for questioning."

"I have a mission," the figure said in a voice that was soft yet tinged with power. "I cannot allow anyone to stop me."

Kara sighed. "You realize how bad that sounds? It's not like you can just ask for help or be clear on what it is you're after?"

"Lena Luthor."

Kara's eyes narrowed. "And now we settle the bad guy question." She lowered herself to face the man. "Sorry but Lena is a friend…"

"No. She isn't."

Kara rubbed her face. "I'm trying to be diplomatic here just in case you are a good guy after all so we don't get the clichéd misunderstanding fight. However, yes, she is my friend so if you want her, you're going to have to go after me."

The man cocked his head to look her over. "I have no quarrel with you, Kryptonian. I simply wish to deal with Lena and then take my leave."

"Just jump to the leave part and we can end this easily."

"You cannot stop me."

"Funny, I think I can."

The man thrust out his staff as he whispered something under his breath. A blast of energy burst from its tip and into Kara's chest. She gasped, more in surprise than pain at the blow that sent her back. Getting to her feet, she unleashed her heat vision but with a wave of his hand, the man created a field that blocked it. Kara flew outward but the man managed to dodge as if she was in slow motion. He then smashed her in the back with his staff, combining the blow with another force of energy that knocked Kara down.

She was wincing as he came to her. "You don't see," he said in a soft tone. "Not yet." He pressed his hand to her forehead and whispered to himself. Kara's eyes widened and she gasped out loud as she felt her mind suddenly shifted, almost like when the Dominators took her over. It felt…

"Back off!" The man turned to see Alex Danvers in her suit with a half dozen DEO agents behind her. Alex fired off a blast from her gauntlet with the man creating the shield to once more block it. He slammed his staff into the ground, igniting a massive shockwave combined with a burst of white light that blinded everyone present.

As her eyesight returned, Alex blinked before seeing Kara on her knees. "Kara!" She raced to her sister, helping her up. "Are you ok?"

Kara was shaking her head. "I…no…No, I…" She looked to Alex and her sister was thrown by the sudden fear in Supergirl's eyes. "It's Lena, Alex. She's not…she's not….real."

* * *

"What do you mean, not real?" Lucy was confused as Kara faced her, Alex and J'onn in the main DEO headquarters.

"I mean, a year ago, Lena Luthor didn't exist," Kara replied. "There was never an adoption, the LexCorp board took over when Lex went to jail and Lillian has never interacted with any daughter."

"Kara, that's crazy," Alex said.

Kara looked to J'onn. "You read my mind. You saw my memories, my true memories."

"I did," he allowed. "But how can you be sure this man didn't put them in? To try and drive a wedge between you and Lena?"

"I just…know. It's hard to explain but it was like a veil was lifted, like suddenly everything became clear." Kara shook her head. "Lena is…I don't know what she is but she's sure not a Luthor."

Alex rubbed her face. "Table that for right now. What about this stranger?"

Lucy tapped some keys to bring up footage from the fight courtesy of the DEO agents' cameras. "Looks like some sort of personal force field."

"That staff is more than just a prop," Kara intoned. "The blow he hit me was nasty. Also, when I went at him…it's not like he was using super-speed but more like I was in slow motion."

"Time or energy manipulation," J'onn noted. "Interesting…"

"Plus, he blocked my X-ray vision."

"And he wants Lena," Alex noted. "Which means she's our priority."

"I'll find her," Kara declared. She began walking toward the balcony, the others following. "I should come with," J'onn stated.

Kara shook her head. "I don't understand fully what's going on but I still trust her, J'onn. I need to know the truth, one way or another."

"We'll have backup just in case," Alex stated. Kara nodded as she bounded off the balcony and into the sky.

* * *

It took minutes to find her way to the L-Corp Building. She sensed the balcony door was open and slowly floated down toward it. She saw Lena at her desk, calmly working and sipping a glass of wine. A wave of the hand indicated she saw Kara and she took it as an invitation to enter. "Lena?" Kara started.

"Supergirl." The voice was cooler than usual and Kara knew this wasn't going to be the best talk. "What can I do for you?"

"Someone is after you."

"Must be a Monday."

"Seriously, Lena. Some stranger, we're figuring out who he is but he used some serious powers and has it in for you."

She paused but then went back to her work. "I can handle it."

Kara was silent for a moment. "He…He did something to me and…I've been…remembering things."

The pen froze on the paper as Lena slowly looked up to her. "Oh?" Kara instantly felt a sense of foreboding at the look in Lena's eyes. They weren't cold but had an air she'd never seen before, as if…mischievous.

Kara licked her lips. "Yes. He showed me…" She took a deep breath. "The truth."

Lena was quiet for a long moment before letting out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry you had to see that. And I'm sorry you had to tell me."

She rose to her feet as Kara moved before the desk. "Who are you, Lena? I mean, who are you really?"

Lena smiled. "We all have our masks…Don't we, Kara?" Supergirl blinked as Lena smirked. "Really, do you think I wouldn't know? Oh, it's not a terrible disguise, hide in plain sight. Believe me, I appreciate it. But I know the truth."

Supergirl sighed. "Lena…I didn't want to lie to you but…"

"Let's just cut through this, shall we?" Lena snapped. "What you saw was the truth, Kara Danvers. There is no Lena Luthor and there never was. She was simply my own mask, a disguise so perfect that I forgot myself. It took my recent…death…and return to remember the truth." A smile came to her face, one that made Kara very uncomfortable. "And now…it's time for me to be myself."

Kara swallowed. "Lena…Listen, let's get you to the DEO, they can check you out and…"

Lena waved her hands and a flow of energy came over Kara's hands. She blinked to see her wrists now bound in green manacles attached to chains. It took a moment for the pain to hit her and she yelled as she collapsed to her knees from the Kryptonite. Lena sipped her wine once more as she looked at her. "I'll give it to my other persona, collecting all that Kryptonite was a good thing as it helped me figure out how to transmute it easily."

Kara looked up at Lena…and saw something new. It wasn't just that her voice had changed, taking on what sounded like a British accent. The woman's entire persona had transformed, no longer the warm woman she'd known but something colder. Something older. Looking into those eyes, Kara saw nothing of her friend but something a whole lot deadlier.

"Now, I assume your half-lush of a sister is on her way right now." Lena was quite calm as she slid open a drawer and removed a solid green knife. "As much as it's been too long since I had a victorious gloat, I really need to get moving." She looked down at the helpless Kara and sighed. "For what it's worth, she really did count you as a friend. Sadly, I learned a very long time ago that it's best to cut away what makes you weak before it ruins you."

She lifted the blade up as Kara pulled back as much as she could to avoid the blow. At which point, a blast of white energy flew outward to strike the knife, knocking it out of Lena's hands. She and Kara both looked up to the doorway to see that same hooded figure from earlier standing in it.

"You," Lena whispered, her eyes wide.

The figure stepped inside, pulling back his hood. He appeared to be Lena's age with dark hair, the cloak over a modern-day suit. His face was handsome but carried a power to it, his eyes seeming to shimmer a bit as they fixed upon Lena, who was attempting to recover her wits. He finally spoke in a crisp British accent.

"Morgana."

"Merlin."

The man waved his hands and Kara gasped in relief as her cuffs vanished. She was still weakened as she tried to regain her bearings. She watched as Lena slowly moved around the room, her clothing shifting. Gone was the business suit and replaced by a flowing black dress accentuating her curves, rings on her fingers and a pendant around her neck. She raised up a hand, a ball of red energy forming into it. "It's been far too long, Merlin."

"I had hoped it would be never," the man replied, his staff at the ready. "When I couldn't detect your presence anymore, I assumed you were finally gone."

"Oh? Did you mourn for me?" Lena said in a teasing voice.

"I did," the man replied. "I mourned for the woman you were."

Lena snorted. "Poor, poor Merlin. Still hoping to appeal to my better nature?"

Merlin shook his head. "No. I realize that woman died a long time ago. I still owe you though."

"Hunting me across universes? To think I once dismissed you as just the kitchen help." Lena smirked as she held up a hand. "Very well, if we must, we must…" She lunged out, throwing a fireball at the man. He swung his staff out to block it and unleashed a blast of white energy of his own. Kara hissed, feeling the sheer power of each as they flew over her. She had no idea what was happening as the two moved about the room, watching in amazement as they traded blasts of energy.

Lena hissed as she waved a hand and a sword appeared from nowhere. She lunged with it as the man blocked it with his staff. " _You_ owe _me_?" she hissed. "You're the one who stabbed me on the battlefield! Who nearly killed me!"

"You killed the best man I have ever known!" Merlin snapped back. "You brought Camelot to ashes! You ruined what would have been a golden age for the world!"

"Golden age, you still cling to such fantasies?" Lena kept up her attacks. "Power is what matters, Merlin! It's all that's ever mattered! You've just been too foolish and weak to embrace yours!"

The man ducked a sword blow to knock her away. He moved in with his staff as Kara got to her feet. She slammed her palms together, the shockwave knocking both of them off their feet and against the far walls. She was still weak as Lena got to her feet first. "Lena…" Kara started.

"My name is Morgan." The woman fired off a ball of fire that knocked Kara back. She saw the man getting to his feet and smirked. "Another time, luv." With that, she waved a hand and in a billowing cloud of smoke, vanished from sight.

Kara winced as she got to her feet just as Lucy burst through the doors with several agents. They all had their guns raised at the man who just looked at them carefully. "Easy, easy!" Kara called out. She moved toward the man, looking him in the eye. "We need answers. And it's easier if you just tell us now rather than fight us."

The man looked at her carefully and slowly nodded.

* * *

"Hold up," Alex stated, a hand raised. She stared at the man inside the conference room, her face filled with disbelief. "You're telling us you're Merlin. As in… _the_ Merlin from King Arthur?" She, Kara, J'onn and James were all looking at the figure.

The man nodded. He appeared quite calm as he sat in a chair and while he had handcuffs on his wrists, Kara and J'onn had the feeling he was only sitting there because he chose to be. "I am."

"Really?" Lucy pressed. "I thought…I mean…"

"I know, I know," Merlin said with a shrug. He paused and narrowed his eyes and in seconds, had turned into an elderly man with a long flowing white beard. "Is this better?" he asked in a cracked voice.

Lucy blinked in surprise as Merlin transformed back to his usual form. "Don't believe all the legends," he stated. "I have gone over records of Camelot here and I've seen it's not the way it was. Of course, not sure if that means the legends got altered over the years or the history here is different."

"Here?" Alex pressed. "You're from another Earth then."

Merlin nodded. "I am. As is Morgana so as I said, what you know of us may be different."

"It's possible," Kara noted. "Last time I was seeing the Legends, they said that on Earth-1, Camelot was started by some 1940s heroine who went back in time, helped them with tech and became their Merlin."

Lucy shook her head. "Just when I think this job can't get weirder…"

Merlin seemed a bit taken aback himself before going on. "Let me bring you up to speed on how it was on our Earth then. The legends of Camelot are not what you think. It had been known as Albion, a good land but when his wife died of complications from a spell, King Uther declared all magic was evil and began a purge that made the Salem Witch Trials look like a trip to Disneyland. Thus, you had the great irony in that his illegitimate daughter, Morgana, was born with such power herself."

"As were you," Kara guessed.

"I was. I came to Albion as an apprentice to a local druid. I was told by…a figure that it was my destiny to aid Uther's son, Arthur, to become a great king and to make Camelot into a land that would usher in a golden age for the world. So, I did my best to aid him although I had to keep quiet about my abilities."

"That must have been complicated," Kara mused.

A rueful look came to Merlin's face. "You have no idea. Don't get me wrong, Arthur was a good man and grew into a great one. But when we first met, he was brash, arrogant and rather full of himself. To put it into modern parlance, he believed he was the star of the show fighting the monsters and I was the bumbling sidekick. I can't tell you how many times I saved the day but let Arthur think it was him while I was stuck cleaning up the kitchens. Or worse."

"Secret identities suck sometimes, don't they?" Kara asked with sympathy and Merlin had to smile at her.

James got things back on track. "What about Morgana?"

Merlin sighed deeply. "Things got…complex. She had a good heart once but when her magic was revealed and Uther turned on her, she fell to darkness. She soon allied with Camelot's enemies, briefly had the throne herself but when she was overthrown, it got worse. Eventually, she began staging full on attacks and then instigated a final massive war against the realm, aided by a knight named Mordred."

"Who killed Arthur," J'onn stated.

Merlin looked off, his eyes still carrying an old pain. "Not instantly as he then slew Mordred. He was mortally wounded though and as we escaped the battle, I finally revealed my secret to him. He was upset at first, feeling betrayed at being kept out of the loop. But as he realized how much I'd been helping him over the years, he seemed to get over it. We were attacked by Morgana and I tried to defend Arthur, stabbing her in the heart. It was too late as he died."

Alex frowned. "You killed Morgana?"

"I thought I had," Merlin admitted. "I then began moving on as Arthur is fated to return one day in a new form. It was in the Middle Ages that I began hearing rumors of some great witch raising havoc behind the scenes. I tracked her down to find it was Morgana, still alive. I have no idea what sort of dark arts she employed to keep herself going but it's made her worse than ever. I think it had something to do with the darker fairies, hence her new name of Le Fay."

Lucy glanced to James. "That he's being so nonchalant talking about evil fairies is a little weird."

"That's the part you find weird?" James shook his head. "I still can't get this. You're saying Lena is Morgan Le Fay?"

"Exactly," Merlin said. "She and I fought over the centuries, each time her managing to escape. We had a final clash a few years ago and afterward, I found no trace of her around so believed she was finally destroyed. But then, a few weeks ago, I felt her presence again yet it wasn't on my world."

"A few weeks…" Kara and Alex shared a look. "The Dusting."

Merlin nodded. "It hit my world the same as yours. Even I didn't know the cause or how it got set right. I had been aware of other realms for some time of course but it never occurred to me Morgana could have found a way to one. Once she did, she knew she had to hide from me so cast a unique spell. It mixes both ancient magics and some sort of alien technology, I still can't quite grasp how she pulled it off. But in essence, she created a brand new identity for herself and then alter the memories of everyone else to believe it was true."

James shook his head in disbelief. "I just…I know her, I've…We know each other. I can't believe she could be like this."

"You knew her cover," Merlin pressed. "I don't know if it was deliberate or a by-product but the spell affected Morgana as well so even she believed she was Lena Luthor. Yes, that woman may have been good-hearted but that was nothing but an illusion. She knows who she is now."

"She was…dusted…" Kara said, knowing James and Lucy were both still uncomfortable talking about that. "Maybe, when she was returned…"

"It broke the spell on her," Merlin finished. "My thoughts exactly. It took a bit to track her down but now I have, I need to stop her."

"By killing her?" Kara demanded.

Merlin looked her in the eye. "Ms. Danvers, let me be blunt." Kara wasn't surprised at all that he knew who she was. "I spent far too long trying to get her to come back into the light. I wanted to believe she could be redeemed, even until the end." He shook his head. "But she's too far gone now. Whatever good was in her was crushed centuries ago. She is a monster of great magical power who now has access to a company of cutting edge technology. She has to be stopped before she unleashes horrors upon your world and then mine."

Alex coughed. "Let's table the whole discussion what to do with her. First, we need to find her."

Merlin waved his hands as the cuffs around his wrists vanished. "I was able to get a lock on her early because she wasn't expecting me. Now she is and she learned a long time ago how to put me off her trail."

Alex smiled. "No offense, Merlin, but this is the 21st century. We can track rogue aliens, we can track her."

Kara moved to him. "Listen…I agree, she needs to be stopped even though we can argue on how to handle her. You want to do it, work with us, not against us."

Merlin was silent for a long moment before he nodded. "All right. But let's make this clear now, if I see an opportunity to end her, I will."

"Man, the Disney movie made you look so much happier," James muttered.

"Oh, do not get me started on the animated films…" Merlin said as he got to his feet. He glanced over to J'onn. "By the way, I get you're attempting to ascertain my motives but I don't quite approve of my mind read without permission."

J'onn nodded. "Understood. Your mental defenses are pretty strict."

"I've had some rough experiences." Merlin followed them into the main area of the base.

"Just what is she after?" Alex pressed.

"What she's always been after. Power." Merlin brushed at his hair. "My guess is that she's trying to find a way back to our world, to get what used to be Camelot and is now Great Brittan. And she doesn't care how many people she has to kill to do it."

Kara shook her head. "I still can't believe…"

"Again, I get she was your friend," Merlin stated. "She was to me, too. It took me too long to understand how dangerous she was and too many people paid the price for my denial. Lena Luthor is dead, accept it." Something in his tone made it clear there was more to the story but Kara decided now was not the time to press on it.

"She may be but her computer is still alive." Lucy moved to a console to bring up a series of data screens. "She's been doing a lot of checking around, some old records, birth records, a lot of stuff from England."

Merlin nodded. "She's probably been trying to locate some sort of source of power. I can tell there is magic in this world, just a bit different than on ours."

"I hate magic," Kara remarked. "Kal warned me about a few guys to avoid who can hurt us."

"Her latest searches seemed to focus on one guy." Lucy brought up an image on the screen along with various records. As soon as he saw them, Merlin's face went white. "That's not good," Alex remarked.

Merlin's eyes were fixed on the screen as he clenched his jaw. "Morningstar. You idiot. You lost him."

* * *

The shop was a quiet place, tucked in a tiny corner of Gotham City. A simple sign gave little indication to what was truly indoors as shelves of books lined the walls along with a variety of jars of supplies, furniture and some odd posters. The sole inhabitant was a tall man with mostly red hair, a shock of white through it. He wore a teed suit, replacing some books on the shelf as he heard the bell over the door ring out. "Sorry but we're about to close," he called out in a strong British accent.

"Jason Blood," a cool female voice cut through the air. "How the mighty have fallen."

He froze in place before slowly turning to the woman standing in the store. "Morgana," he whispered. "How are you here?"

"I could ask the same of you," she stated, smirking as she came into the room. "It looks like I'm not the only one who went dimension hopping."

"Just a change of scenery," the man stated, trying his best to remain calm. "I had hoped to never see you again."

"Well, things change," Morgana stated. "I need your aid."

Blood snorted. "You honestly think I'm going to help you? After all you did? I'd say go to Hell but you'd be welcome there."

Morgan chuckled. "Still the flattering tongue. But today, we have a lot to do."

"Get out, Morgana. Now."

She shook her head. "Sorry, Jason. But it's your better half I need to talk to." She lunged forward and slammed her palm onto his head. Blood screamed out as he fell to his knees, feeling a wave of agony overcoming him. Morgana's eyes were glowing brightly. "Say it," she hissed out. "Go on…say it…"

Blood was gasping out, clearly trying to fight the power flowing into his mind. "Change…Change O' form of man…"

His clothes seemed to suddenly billow with smoke as the agony overcame him with more words being blurted. "Free the prince…forever damned….Free…the might…from fleshy mire"

The heart of the room increased as the smoke now turned into flames, bursting through Blood's clothing. " _Boil the blood…in the heart for fire!"_

Blood's voice was now deeper and rugged, as if something else was taking hold. His form was buckling over as he seemed to grow in place, his eyes turning bright red. " _Gone! Gone! O' form of man_!"

The clothes had burned away with the skin now changed into a horrific bright yellow. Morgana pulled away, knowing it was almost finished. Blood's eyes were nearly gone as his voice burst outward from the cloud of flame. " _And rise the Demon_.."

In one final burst of flame, a new figure crouched in the spot Blood had been. Its yellow skin was scaly and twisted, his hands now sharp and elongated claws. He wore a bright red suit with a long blue cape flowing back from it. His head was a horror with bright and huge fans extending from his maw and pointed ears about his head. He threw out his hands and let out a bellow as he pronounced his name.

" _ETRIGAN_!"

Morgana smiled as the figure took her in. " _Do my eyes deceive or dare I believe? The witch of Camelot reborn upon this dawning 'morn! To what cause have you called as you'll find Etrigan enthralled."_

Morgana smiled brightly. "You and I are going to have a lot of fun…which will involve destroying Merlin at last."

The Demon laughed loudly. " _You seek to upon Merlin war? Well why didn't you simply say so before? Promise the wizard I shall rend and thus, for now, Etrigan shall bend!"_

Morgana chuckled as she took in the new ally upon her side.

* * *

 **Obviously, the idea of Lena as Morgana is a major one thanks to the actress but it appealed to me. I did like Lucy so wanted to bring her back and she fits in with Winn gone. This won't be a huge tale but still some interesting touches that will play into more of this entire "Infinity Crisis" multiverse saga and hope you enjoy.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Of Kryptonians and Queens**

 **By Michael Weyer**

 **Sorry it's been so long since the update, got distracted by other post-IC tales. Here's another chapter to make up for it.**

* * *

Alex just had to stare openly at Merlin. "You summoned…a demon…from Hell?"

Merlin looked downcast. The group was once more around the main briefing room of the DEO, all fixing hard gazes on the wizard. "In retrospect, it wasn't my brightest move…"

"In what exactly respect would it be?" Brainiac pressed. He had arrived from another mission in time to be brought up to speed and naturally found it hard to compute what Merlin was saying. "That you brought some creature from another plane…"

"Hell," Merlin said. "At the time, it was very harsh conflict with some monstrosities Morgan had created in 1170 in England. I needed an edge. Thus, I summoned Etrigan."

"In what world is summoning a demon a logical answer?" Kara demanded, leaning on the briefing table.

"It was a harsh situation," Merlin defended himself. "At the time, I thought I could control Etrigan, use him as a weapon and then send him back." He brushed at his face. "It wasn't…exactly as I imagined. Etrigan stopped Morgan's attacks all right…then went on a rampage of his own. He tore up half the countryside before I finally stopped him. However, as per the deal we'd made, I couldn't just send him back. I did the next best thing by bonding him to a shopkeeper named Jason Blood."

"Bond?" Alex pressed.

"They share a body," Merlin explained. "Jason mostly has control but with an incantation can let Etrigan out. Etrigan transforms, Blood is in the back of his mind. It's a bit tough but they manage to make do and Blood has retained some control over Etrigan."

"Fascinating," Brainy stated. "You managed to integrate two different beings into one composite body. How did you do that? Gene-splicing?"

"Magic."

Brainy waved a hand. "Yes, yes, I know. To those in that even more backward time period, it must have seemed magic when it was truly advanced science."

Merlin closed his eyes as if in pain. "Wonderful, that idiotic Clarke's Third Law thing exists here too."

"I am merely…" Brainy's words were cut off as Merlin waved his hand. In seconds, a blue rabbit was sitting in the chair Brainy had been in. Alex, Lucy and Kara all jumped a bit at the sudden transformation. J'onn had to fight to subdue a smile. Merlin counted to five, then waved his fingers again to turn Brainy back to normal. He sat there, staring off. "That was…How could I retain my intellect when my entire body was…" He clearly had no idea how to compute what had happened to him.

"As for Blood," Merlin went on as if absolutely nothing had happened. "He did control Etrigan, which extended his life span. To Blood, it's more a curse and he and I don't get along very well. The last I heard, he got involved in an exorcism gone wrong and sucked back to Hell."

"How'd he get here?" J'onn asked.

Merlin spread out his hands. "I have no idea. But between his demonic half and the spells he picked up along the way, he found a path into this world. Now ,she has him and by now, has no doubt awakened his worst half."

"What does she want?" Lucy asked.

"That I'm not sure of," Merlin admitted. "Obviously, she needs a power source but it's tricky to find…" He stopped as he saw Kara and Alex exchanging looks of troubled understanding. "What?"

Kara let out a sigh. "We…might have an idea…"

* * *

 **Earth-19999**

 **Two months earlier**

 _Kara held the blue stone in her hand, studying it carefully. That this was once a cube and then an item of incredible cosmic power was hard to take. Yet somehow, she could sense the power from it even in her palm. She looked up at the men before her. "You're sure about this?"_

 _Captain America nodded. "We can't keep them all in our universe. We can't risk someone trying this again. The way we see it, putting them in separate universes is the best bet."_

 _Superman was holding the small case with the purple Power gem inside it. "What of the rest?"_

" _Strange won't give up the Time Stone," Tony stated. "And we still need the Miind stone for Vision. That Soul Stone is gone but Strange thinks it can come back. That leaves these three."_

 _The Flash of Earth-1 was holding the red Reality stone in his own hand. "You trust us with these?"_

" _We trust that you'll find a place to hide them where they'll be safe," Steve confirmed. "Where no one can get them and get them connected to the other."_

" _I know a place like that," Superman noted. Kara had to nod as well. "We won't let you down."_

" _I know." Steve was grim. "Just make they're kept safe."_

* * *

J'onn stared at Kara. "You have one of those things here?!"

Kara nodded. "At the Fortress. Kal agreed it was the best place."

"The best place is off this world!"

"We were getting to that," Kara defended herself. "Kal was going to take it with on his next trip to Argo. It's just been a bit crazy since as you well know." She saw Merlin's glare. "Look, Lena…Morgana…may be powerful but even she'd have a hard time breaking into the Fortress."

"That doesn't mean she won't try," Merlin snapped. "We need to get there right now."

Kara nodded. "I'll fly ahead and…"

"No time." Merlin whispered as he waved his hands. A shimmering of light flew over him, Kara and Alex and in a flash, they had vanished.

Brainy blinked at the sudden exit. "That is…quite a remarkable feat. I must learn more of his science and how it pertains to this current era!"

"I'm going back to Mars," J'onn announced to no one in particular. "I don't care if it's a mostly barren and lifeless wasteland, I'm going back."

* * *

 **The Arctic Circle**

The fur lining of her cloak seemed little protection against the bitter cold but Morgana was handling it well. She had a staff in her hands as she gazed out at the massive mountain of ice before her. Beside her, Etrigan shivered, a bit of steam rising from his body. _"What chill is this, oh queen of the dark? It does not well for Etrigan's mark! Hell's heat is what I call home, not this place better fit for a gnome!"_

"Gods, I'd forgotten the damn rhyming," Morgana muttered. "You are the most annoying poet I've ever met. And I once had dinner with Oscar Wilde."

Etrigan noted the huge golden door with a massive keyhole before it. " _A door so grand and bold, made of such shimmering gold. How to enter this icy lair and gain what lies in there?"_

Morgana smiled. "As it happens, that's something I've been figuring out for some time." She brought a small vial out of her cloak. She popped the cork to pour a pile of dust onto her staff. Whispering an incantation, Morgana pointed the staff at the door. A beam of light struck out, hitting the force field about the area. It seemed to resist but then cracked open just enough to allow Morgana to head in with the Demon behind her.

"I've been working on ways to get in here for so long," Morgana stated. "Remembering my true abilities just made it easier." She smiled as she looked about the icy environment. "Cold. Alien. Fascinating how a woman as warm as Kara came from a culture like this."

" _Enough of this talk and dawdle, where do we find this bauble?"_

Lena pursed her lips as she looked about. "It should be…"

Before she could continue, a flash of light echoed and Merlin, Kara and Alex were there. The latter was happy her suit also contained an interior heating system to handle the chill as she grabbed her gun. Etrigan's eyes flashes as he took in Merlin. " _At last! Centuries long have I waited but now my thirst for blood will be sated! Make peace with thy deity as you will not feel my pity!"_

He opened his mouth to unleash a blast of pure flame. Kara leapt to intercept it, gasping at the sudden shock. She was used to heat but this was something else. Morgana was already moving, sweeping her staff outward to knock the gun out of Alex's hands. Alex dodged her counterstrike and unleashed a blast from her gauntlet to send Morgana back. She rolled about before unleashing a blast of fire from her staff that Alex dodged.

Merlin was moving to back her up, firing off a blast of his own that Morgana dodged. "You're not getting it," he hissed.

"You don't even know what I want," she fired back.

Merlin was about to mention the Stone but then realized it was better to keep quiet. It was just possible that Morgana was after something else and he didn't want to risk her knowing a bigger prize was around. "Whatever it is, you won't get it," he covered. "Just give up, Morgana."

"And return to you?" She snorted. "I didn't do all this just to give up now, Merlin. And not to you." She slammed her staff down, unleashing a shockwave of energy that knocked everyone back. Taking advantage, Morgana whirled about to focus on the main computer of the Fortress. She moved to its console, her fingers racing over the various crystals.

In a blur, Kara was grabbing her hand. "Stop it, Lena!"

"Morgana." She slammed the staff into Kara's face, causing a blow that rocked harder than it should have. "You have no idea what I went through. How I wanted to get what was mine, the power to remake the world. Only to have everyone turn on me." She shook her head. "Wait till it happens to you."

"It won't."

"Just wait, Kara. I know it will. I've seen the signs and heard the whispers on those against aliens. The common people you claim you champion? They're the ones who will turn on you first. Who will attempt to destroy that which is different."

Kara shook her head. "That's the future. For now, I'm stopping you."

"That you believe you have a chance is what makes this more laughable."

Kara was moving to stop her only for Etrigan to grab her cape and yank her back. He punched her in the face, Kara cursing at the blow. Alex fired a blast from her gauntlet to knock at Etrigan's head. He snarled as he unleashed a blast of fire at her. Merlin was there, blocking it with a shield. He flexed his hands to send a wave knocking Etrigan back.

Morgana's eyes gleamed as she fingers found a certain slot on the console. Her hands easily slipped out a crystal. "Perfect." She turned and coughed. "Etrigan! We're leaving!"

" _The job's not done, the wizard's alive, the Demon shall not stop his bloodlust drive!"_

"Dear God, does he always do that?" Alex snapped.

"Sadly, yes," Merlin sighed as he unleashed a blast to knock Etrigan back.

Morgana rolled her eyes as she waved her hands. Etrigan suddenly howled in agony, shaking hard. " _No…thous shall….gone...gone…foul Etrigan…and rise once more the form of man!"_

A blast of flame covered his body combined with smoke. When it faded, Jason Blood was there, heaving for breath, his suit singed with smoke. Another shockwave of magic sent Kara, Alex and Merlin back as Morgana grabbed Blood. "Sorry to cut this short but must dash," she announced before once more vanishing.

Alex cursed as she rose to her feet. "What did she take? It wasn't the Stone."

Kara moved to the console, looking over the crystals. "Let me see…It's tricky but…" She blanched. "Dammit."

"Oh no," Alex sighed. "When you curse like that, it's bad."

Kara looked to her. "It was the crystal file on the experience Kal and I have had with inter-dimensional travel. From the Phantom Zone to that battle on the Avengers Earth."

"Why would she…" Alex's eyes widened. "This isn't about some new power source."

"She doesn't care about your world at all," Merlin said, understanding where Alex was going. "This is about getting back to hers."

* * *

Lucy frowned hard as the trio returned to the DEO. "You made it sound like Morgana was out for nothing but power."

"It's what I assumed given her history," Merlin explained. "I should have known better. Morgana was always tied in to the England of our world. She always wanted to claim it as her own. To just try and take over another version wouldn't be enough."

"Damn," Alex muttered. "She suckered us."

Merlin made a sad smile. "Trust me, she's had a lot of experience at that. The woman was always a master at making you misunderstand her motives." He shook his head as he walked off. "I need a break to recharge before we can go on the hunt. And to figure out her true plans."

He stepped out on the balcony and stared at the city before him. He became aware of Kara coming behind him but didn't face her. "You're pretty intense on this," Kara noted.

"I failed to stop her before. I can't make that same mistake again."

"What happened wasn't your fault. You have to know that."

"In a way, I do." Merlin looked over as Kara joined him. "I stopped blaming myself totally centuries ago. But every now and then…I keep thinking I could have done more. Reached out to her, tried to stop it. That maybe had I seen the signs of her fall to darkness, it could have been prevented." His voice was wistful and clearly filled with memories of happier times.

"She wasn't always like this, you know. The Lena Luthor you knew…that was her once. Someone who cared for others. Who was bright and funny. Oh, she had the aristocratic air but she still seemed to care." He sighed deeply. "It was circumstances that warped her into what she is now. Time and trouble just wiped out the great lady I knew."

"I'm still wrapping my head around it," Kara stated. "That she was a friend and now…"

"She isn't," Merlin agreed. "I know how it feels. In every way. In a way, you're lucky. It was fast, instant, nothing you could do." He looked out at the city again. "For me…there were so many signs I should have recognized…so many chances I had to stop it…And I didn't. I just had to watch that wonderful and kind woman transform into a cold-blooded monster."

Kara stared at him for a long moment as she put it together. "You loved her. Didn't you?"

Merlin looked down in answer. "I did. I never realized how much until the end. When it was too late." He looked off at the skyline. "Maybe if I'd told her….If I'd just been brave enough to try…It could have changed a lot of things."

Kara was silent before speaking. "I haven't been around as long as you have. But I have been through enough to know that trying to replay the past almost never works out for you. And I have a friend who can tell you first hand that even if you do try to fix it…it can just make things worse."

"I suppose." Merlin gazed at the city before him. "I really thought she was gone. I wanted her to be, to finally put the whole thing to rest. Not just for me but her too." He looked down. "I'd hoped maybe she'd finally found the peace in death that eluded her in life."

"I am sorry," Kara stated. She leaned on the balcony with him. "I know what it's like, you know. To lose it all. To be one of the only survivors of an entire society. I grew up like that. I know how it feels to have your world end. And I know you have to keep moving on. To remember them but not be held back."

"I know." Merlin smiled. "Arthur will return one day. Oh, I've had to wait a while but I know it. I just have to be ready for him."

A coughing got their attention as Lucy was in the doorway. "We just got a report from the team we sent to search L-Corp." She tapped her screen with a dark expression. "We found Lilian Luthor. Or, what was left of her."

Even a cast-iron Kryptonite stomach nearly turned at the sight of the figure that appeared to have been twisted inside-out then back again. "Oh, Rao…"

Merlin nodded. "Cutting off the last ties to her past." He looked to Kara. "Still think she can be saved?"

Kara shook her head. "I'm still not killing her. I'll stop her but by non-lethal means."

"Fair enough," Merlin said as they entered. "We just need to figure out her plan before it gets too bad."

"Can't she just….cross dimensions like you did?" Lucy asked.

Merlin shook his head. "My powers are different than hers. Stronger in many ways but also working along different spells. Even then, crossing to this reality was no easy feat. It took a bit out of me. With Morgana, her powers are still not as strong as they once were after she posed as Lena for so long. She needs something else, a…boost of some kind."

"A boost…" Kara's brow wrinkled. "I need to get to my office, I think something there could be the key." She began to walk out with Merlin following as Lucy once more wondered if rejoining the DEO hadn't been a bit of a mistake.

* * *

Blood sat inside the circle, gazing at the symbols on the ground. "Your work has improved," he noted in a dry voice. He noted the field surrounding him, guaranteeing he couldn't exit the circle in either form.

"I've had plenty of experience," Morgana stated. She stood by a table, flipping through a large book as well as tapping on a laptop computer. "Mixing magic and science?" Blood stated. "That rarely works well."

"Simply integrating what I knew as Lena with my own pas experiences," Morgana answered him. "I needed a certain conjunction to pierce the dimensional barriers before. That won't be happening for a bit in this universe so I have to make do. Luckily, the word of my…true identity hasn't spread far yet so I still have contacts to use." She smiled at a data screen popping up. "Ah, here we are. Just what I needed."

Blood shook his head. "All this just to get back home. For what? You can't win, Morgana. You never could."

"That was before," she snapped. "You've felt it, Blood. The way reality itself has shifted. Magic has been altered, not just here but across the planes. Before it settles down, that's a major opportunity I can use."

"For your own England? Not this one?'

Morgana shook her head. "I want that one. The land of my birth. And his."

Blood smiled. "And that's the truth of it. This is about Merlin. About showing him up at last. You could claim this entire planet but that wouldn't be enough. No, you need to shove it in his face."

"Are you defending him?"

"I have no love for the man. Not after he struck me with this damned curse." Blood crossed his arms. "I'm just amazed that you still retain such…affection for him."

Morgana laughed. "Affection? The man almost killed me!"

"A thin line between love and hate."

"There's no love in me, Blood. Especially not for him."

"Methinks the lady doth protest too much."

"God, I would never have fed Shakespeare that line if I'd known it was going to be used so often."

"Just saying, Morgana…You could have killed him centuries ago if you were as powerful as you say…yet you never did. Why? Still harboring an affection for the young man you knew so well?"

She glared at him. "The only thing I ever loved died a very….very…long time ago, Blood. Because of him. Whatever I may have felt…once…is in the past. The future is what matters now." She tapped the keys and nodded. "Here we go. Just need one more ingredient to get what I want."

"And what happens to me?" Blood asked. "Keep in mind, threatening to kill me won't do much good. I'd accept death as a blessing after all I've been through."

"There are worse fates, Jason, as you well know." Morgana moved toward him, her wicked smile in place. "For now, be assured…you'll still get Merlin's hide before this is through."

Jason sighed as he felt Etrigan's desire well within him…and hated to admit how much he agreed with his demonic half for once.

* * *

Merlin had to look Kara over with interest as they rode up the elevator for CatCo. "Glasses? Really?"

"I know, I know," Kara said, adjusting it as she wore her usual skirt and sweater. "Half the time, I can't believe it works either. But it does." She led him into the office, surprised it was mostly quiet. Her eyes quickly focused on the larger office where it looked like the staff was all gathered. "Huh. James must have called an emergency meeting." She led Merlin to it, pushing past a few of the people inside…and freezing in place.

"Oh, good, Keira, you're here." Standing behind the desk like a queen on her throne was a quite attractive older woman in a designer suit that blistered with inner power.

"Ms. Grant?" Kara babbled.

"I see your turn to a reporter has improved your senses," Cat Grant said in her usual imperious tone. "Thankfully, I had just begun this meeting so you haven't missed much."

"How…I mean…I thought you were…"

"White House Press Secretary?" Cat nodded. "I was. However, when you turn into dust in the middle of a press conference, it alters your thinking on your future career choices. I decided my place was not being the continual mouthpiece for one administration. It was to once more take up leadership of this media empire. To use it to fight against the rising tide of anti-alien feelings and other issues that can ruin this society."

"Um, I think tide is a bit much," Kara muttered. She found herself once more locked on the receiving end of a Cat Grant stare. She found it odd how much she'd missed it.

"Ah, Keria, how I missed your lovely naivety," Cat sighed. "So adorable." She looked over the others. "There, I'm back, we're getting on track, I expect new material and fresh ideas by the end of the day. Chop-chop!" In a rush, the staff moved out, leaving Kara standing with Cat. "Keria," Cat statd. "Something on your mind?"

"Just…I mean…where's James?"

"Oh, he's still working here, in his office," Cat returned. "I already talked to him, this was no reflection on his work. I just felt it was overdue I make my return."

"Ah..so…am I…"

Cat smiled. "Yes, Keria, you're still a reporter. I am very happy about your recent work and will be more than appreciative you continue."

"You realize her name is Kara, right?" Merlin stated. He had faced centuries of conflict, monstrous creatures, evil witches and sorcerers, a few dragons and, literally, Hell. Yet one sharp glare from Cat was enough for him to actually back up a step.

"I am aware, it's a game we've played for years. She likes it."

"Um, actually…"

Cat waved her hand. "To work, Kiera! I have much to catch up and whip back into shape!" Kara nodded as she headed to her desk. Merlin followed her, his eyebrows raised. "Fascinating woman. I know quite a few kings that would be hard-pressed to tame her."

"Yep, she's back in form," Kara said as she sat at her desk. She moved to her computer to check on some files. "I know there was something about this, I was marking it among the research for a new project at WayneCorp. It had to do with a new energy source…"

"Which Morgana may be interested in," Merlin noted. "If we can find it first…"

The sounds of screams cut through and the duo looked up. Marching into the press room was Morgana in full regalia with Etrigan behind her. The Demon let out a burst of flame that sent workers scattering as Morgana slammed her staff on the ground. "Kara Danvers!" she yelled out. "I believe we should be settling this!"

In her office, Cat looked up at the chaos outside. "A badly-dressed psychopath trying to cause destruction. Now I really do feel like I'm back home."

* * *

 **A bit shorter but was doing a bit more set-up here. Including the return of Cat Grant as who doesn't love having her around?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Kyrptonians and Queens**

 **By Michael Weyer**

 **Sorry about the delay, bit of a crunch of time over the holidays but hopefully this makes up for it.**

* * *

Kara ducked into the main office just as Morgana fired off a blast from her staff. It shattered the windows as Cat ducked behind her own desk. By this point, the CatCo employees were more than used to such incidents at the workplace and were prepared. They quickly scattered about for pre-planned evacuation routes, avoiding the blasts of magic and flame going about. The two magic-users were too busy concentrating on each other to even notice they were soon left alone.

Merlin stepped out of the office, summoning his own staff. He threw it out to unleash a blast of flame that Morgana blocked. "Stop this now, Morgana."

"I believe it's long past time we settled this," she snapped as she fired off another blast he blocked. He then had to hold up a hand to create a shield to block the blast of flame Etrigan launched at him.

Inside the main office, Kara was crawling to make sure Cat was okay. "Ms. Grant, just stay down!" She looked back at the fight, wrestling with the need to race out into the fray.

"Go," Cat hissed.

"What?" Kara blinked in confusion.

"You can duck out the balcony and then fly back in. I can tell folks you hid with me in my panic room."

Kara just stared at her as realization dawned. "You…you know?"

Cat snorted. "Of course I know. I've known for over three years now."

"But…how…"

"I'm an award-winning journalist, your disguise is atrocious and I've known nuns who are better liars than you! Now are you going or not?!"

Kara was still wrapping her head around this. "Will you be okay?"

Cat made a wave of her hand. "My panic room is specially reinforced."

"For alien attacks?"

"No, because I'm the sworn enemy of Lois Lane and I need protection in case she comes after me!"

"Um…actually, Lois doesn't really think about you…"

"Kara!"

"Right." In a blur, Kara flew out the window, her clothes a pile on the floor. Cat scooped them up before heading into her panic room. A quick circle around and Kara was flying through a window to smash into Etrigan. He unleashed a burst of flame which Kara had to put up with. " _The girl from the stars, so nice and bright, you will face my infernal bite!"_

"Kal gets Lex Luthor and Brainiac. I get a warped Dr. Seuss character," Kara muttered as she belted Etrigan. Morgana and Merlin moved about the cubicles, a twisted dance of energy blasts at each other as they each tried to gain the advantage. Morgana slammed her staff against his as she glared at him. "You can't even let me go, can you? You never could."

"Not after what you did," he snarled. "I'll follow you to any universe you head to."

"Yes…you would, wouldn't you?" Morgana smirked. "Which is why I need you to end this." She snaked a hand to her belt, removing a sharp and long needle. Blocking one of Merlin's strikes, she lunged to stab it at his neck. Merlin gasped out as he felt his legs suddenly weaken. "You never did listen to Arthur's lessons to protect your flank," Morgana teased. "The man was an arrogant prat but at least he knew sword play."

Merlin wanted to reply but was too busy dealing with the poison in his system. He could feel it flowing over him, an old concoction by Morgana he'd dealt with before. However, she'd spiked it up a bit with something he couldn't identify, an element making him even weaker than usual. Which was exactly what Morgana wanted.

She grabbed at his arm as she called out. "Etrigan! We have what we came for!"

The demon combined a blast of fire with a punch to send Kara off. He joined with Morgana as she waved a hand. In a shimmer of light, they were gone, leaving Kara wincing as she stood up. "Rao, I hate magic," she muttered.

" _You realize_ ," Cat' voice came over the nearest loudspeaker. " _I can now formally deduct any damage from your weekly paycheck."_

* * *

Alex looked over the screens with her hands on her hips. "Any luck yet?"

Brainy was tapping furiously at the keys. "It would be better if you people actually went ahead and realized typing is a wasteful use of time that can slow a proper programming session down…"

"Brainy…."

"Wait…." He narrowed his eyes as he hit a key. On the computer screen, a map showcased a blinking dot. "Here. Looks like somewhere in Southern England…near Stonehenge."

Kara nodded as she looked at the screen. "That makes sense. Morgana would have a connection there." She brushed back her hair. "Glad the tracker is still working, Merlin wasn't too keen on hiding it on him."

"He really expected Morgana to try and abduct him?" Lucy pressed.

"Sounds like he's had experience with that," Kara stated. "I suppose if you fight someone on and off for centuries, you get to know how they think."

"For a supposed magician, he does seem to accept technology," Brainy noted.

Kara smiled softly. "Funny, Mon-El was telling me of this guy the Legion handles named Mordu. Isn't he some sort of major wizard?"

Brainy waved a dismissive hand. "Merely an advanced form of science."

"I'm sorry, do you need a carrot?"

Brainy glared at her before continuing his scans. "Even if we do get in and attack her, she does have the advantage."

Alex rubbed at her face. "Anything from her scans that can give us an edge?"

"One intriguing idea," Brainy stated. "We in the Legion have had experience with the creation of alternate personas and memory trees. It's a complex endeavor, more so in this time period. While the memories are mostly false, the fact that she could alter public records to indicate Lena Luthor truly existed hints at unique alterations in the reality structure-"

"Brainy!" Lucy cut in. "Modern-day parlance!" She had once attempted to say "speak English" only to be answered by a seven-minute lecture on how Brainy was indeed speaking the English language of this time period.

Brainy looked put out but continued. "It wasn't just fake memories but truly creating a persona the entire world believed in. That indicates a level of reality alteration that just doesn't vanish. In essence, Lena Luthor's existence is still in effect."

"Still in effect?" Alex frowned. "How does that help us?"

Kara frowned. "There…could be something." She licked her lips. "It's tricky….Clark told me it should only be an extreme emergency…"

"This may qualify," Brainy pointed out.

Kara let out a sigh. "We need to stop in Gotham first. And hope it works out."

"What about the Demon?" Lucy pressed.

"I think I can help with that," J'onn stated. "The way you described that earlier fight, it's the mind inside we can handle, not the main form."

Supergirl nodded. "All right. Time for some magic of our own."

* * *

Merlin tapped a finger against the force field, watching the sparks flash across it. He appeared utterly calm and giving the idea he was perfectly calm trapped inside this field. He stood amid the circle of Stonehenge as Morgana worked at the main altar of the circle. She had candles laid out along with a various array of bottles and a long dagger. Etrigan crouched on one of the boulders, watching this with interest.

"You really think this will hold me?" Merlin called out.

Morgana smirked. "That spell was created by a woman's wiles. That's a bond almost no one can break."

"Still so proud…" Merlin mused. He looked around the area. "It is odd. Every Earth has differences but Stonehenge? It's always the same. No matter what the rest of an Earth can be, it's always the exact same patterns, same design, all of it. Right down to the inch."

"Why do you think we're here?" Morgana called out. She was making a symbol on the ground in the center of the area, a perfect circle marked with various runes. "This is a nexus between realities. A focal point for anyone wanting to travel between them. It's how I got here in the first place. All you need is to find the right way to direct yourself."

Merlin's eyes widened as the pieces fit into place. "That's it. That's why you couldn't just up and leave when you recovered your memories. You don't know how to get back home."

Morgana arched an eyebrow. "Do you have any idea how many realities there are? Of course not, no one does. Multiple Earths, multiple timelines, I could spend decades wandering at random before I found my own Earth. Unless…I have a homing beacon. A life force attuned to that reality that I can use as a directional finder."

Merlin frowned at the way she looked at him. "Which is me."

"You just came from the world we once shared, Merlin. The aura of it is still fresh on you. All I need is to properly…cultivate it and I can get back to my Earth. My England. My land."

" _Enough talk, tis enough to make me sick_!" Etrigan barked out. " _Can we just go and cut to the quick?"_

"Excellent idea," Morgana stated as she held up a dagger. She moved slowly toward the binding circle with the dagger in hand. Merlin set himself as she came toward him, whispering as the circle tightened. It formed a set of circular bonds tying to him that he struggled against. "You can break out of those in a bit," Morgana stated. "But it'll hold long enough."

" _A prick of blood is all you need_?" Etrigan scoffed. " _It's not the way I wanted to see the wizard bleed!"_

"Oh, a drop isn't enough." Morgana moved the dagger to Merlin's chest. "No, no, I believe the best move here is…a whole heart."

Etrigan laughed loudly. " _Oh, the organ that I long thought the wizard lacked! Come, remove it so I may see if it is black!_ " He rubbed his clawed hands together. " _Tis a sight I long have dreamed and the sole reason with you have I teamed! Let his screams echo in the night_ …"

"Dear Rao, just shut up and fight!" Kara's voice cut through the air as she flew down to smash her fists into Etrigan. J'onn was in his Martian form, setting Alex down on the ground before going to join Kara in her fight. Etrigan snarled as he fought against each of them. " _What's this, a champion in green? Do not think Etrigan shall be kind for thy sheen!"_

J'onn grimaced to Kara as he punched the demon. "You were right, that is damn annoying."

Kara nodded as Lena was ready to stab Merlin. Alex unleashed a blast from her gauntlet to knock her back. Merlin grimaced as he concentrated and his energies causing the bonds to shatter. He waved a hand to pull his staff from the table and moved to Morgana. "It's time to end this."

"Oh, I so agree," Morgana hissed as she hit him back. Blood flew from a cut on his cheek but he responded with a shot of his own.

Etrigan grabbed at Kara, unleashing a blast of flame at her. She gasped out as J'onn oved in from behind to place his hands at the demon's temples. He furrowed his brow and concentrated hard. Etrigan seemed to ignore him but then gasped out in agony. J'onn grit his teeth as he kept going. He'd been through some inhuman minds before but the images of the land Etrigan had called home were enough to make even him sick to his stomach. He pushed past them to finally find the human link he was looking for.

Etrigan gasped out and shook hard. " _Gone…gone…foul Etrigan…And rise once more the form_ _of_ _man_!" Once more, the billow of flame and smoke overtook him with a wail of agony. Jason Blood slumped to the ground, heaving for breath. A punch from Kara quickly knocked him out. Kara barely paused before flying over at Morgana. "Lena, you hear me? I'm coming for you!"

Morgan snarled as she slammed her staff into Kara's midsection. "When you realize it? I am not Lena Luthor! She never existed!"

"No," Kara snapped. "She did. She was there and still is." She looked up at Morgana with her jaw set. "And I'm getting her back. Alex, _now_!"

In a blur, Kara had grabbed Merlin and ducked him behind a pillar. Morgana frowned even as she turned to find Alex dropping the metal box she'd been carrying. She lifted up what looked like a solid black rock with energies flowing around her gloves. "What in…"

Alex grimaced as the rock shimmered with light. A blast of energy blasted outward to strike Morgana full-on. She screamed out as she felt herself hit with a massive wave of power. It wasn't just magic but something alien, more so than she could have imagined.. Her mind was filled with agony but also the flow of memories she had crafted for Lena…memories that seemed to come to the fore much brighter. Her body grew with a light brighter than the color of the gem. It looked as if another image was superimposed on herself, her scream echoing with the other version as well.

In a final flash of light, Morgana was sent flying back, gasping for air. Next to her, curled up in a shaking ball was a naked woman who was her exact double. She looked up, blinking slowly as her eyes came to focus. "Kara?" she asked weakly.

"Lena?" Supergirl asked as she moved forward. She pulled off her cape and wrapped it around the other woman.

Morgana slowly rose up, staring in utter shock at her mirror image. She felt…weakened somehow. As if part of herself had been torn out of her. Yet her magic was still strong even if her entire body had been somehow rocked. "What…is this?"

"Black Kryptonite," Alex stated as she put the rock back into a lead box. "A little something Kara's cousin found a few years back."

"It briefly split him into two different beings," Kara explained. "One noble, the other his darker side given form. Thankfully, he got it settled before his other self could cause too much trouble. But this…should be a permanent fix."

Morgana rose up, staring at her other self. "This…This can't be…She was nothing but a lie! She was a mask, nothing more!"

"You never understood," Merlin said in a flat tone. "That spell was more powerful than you could have predicted, combined with whatever technology you used. It didn't just make an alias, it made a person. With memories of a life, with her own feelings, her own personality. Even a soul of her own. Or rather, the piece left of yours you hadn't totally crushed." He waved to the still stunned Lena. "You couldn't just cut her away, Morgana. Not until now."

Lena was staring at her mirror image with horror. "You…I know you…I remember you…What you did…to me…my mother…"

"Oh, like you never dreamed of it," Morgana snapped. "So…you really are her. Broken off from me. Not the outcome I wanted in any way." She glared as she held up a hand. "But maybe…Maybe it's better…Now that I can wipe out my weaker half…"

A blast of light struck her hard, knocking her away. Merlin was there, his eyes glaring with fire. "Whatever leniency I may have shown, Morgana? You just lost it. Literally."

Morgana looked at him, then over to the nearby circle where some drops of his blood had fallen. "As much as I would love to have that grand epic showdown, Merlin…I think the better part of valor is called for here." She unleashed a wave of energy that knocked the entire group back. She raced to the table, running her hands over the blood. In a swift move, she was inside the circle, marking the runes with the blood and whispering to herself.

The circle lit up around her, creating a massive tunnel of light that extended into the sky. Merlin was on his feet, running toward her with an angry yell. Morgana simply grinned at him and offered a mocking wave. In a wild roar, her body seemed to fade away and was swept up into the tunnel. As soon as it had flowed, the light faded and Stonehenge was silent.

"Where'd she go?" Alex demanded.

"Into the multiverse," Merlin replied, staring up at the sky. "She managed to get the spell going enough to enter it and land on another Earth."

"Hers and yours?"

"I'm not sure…she didn't have enough of my blood for an exact location. Maybe she did or she could have landed on any one of a thousand worlds."

"That can wait," Kara remarked as she held up Lena. The woman was obviously still in shock as she clutched the cape around her. "We need to get Lena checked out and…."

A groaning got their attention as Jason Blood got to his feet. He looked at them all with obvious anger. Merlin was stepping forward, coughing. "Jason…It's…been a while. I know we left off on bad-"

His words were cut off by Blood punching him in the jaw. Alex moved ahead but J'onn held her back. Merlin winced as he rubbed his jaw. "I suppose I deserve that."

"And more." Blood glared at him. "I may not want to unleash Etrigan again…but believe me, I am very, very tempted just to take care of you." He pointed at Merlin. "Do not contact me. Do not come near me. I don't want you anywhere on the same world as me. Understood?" He glared at the others. "That goes for all of you, I am not going to be some sort of supernatural source. Just leave me alone." He glared before starting to walk away.

"Um, where are you going?" Alex called out. "We're in England."

"I have a place here," Blood called out. "And believe me, I'd rather walk back to Metropolis than count on you lot."

Alex watch him stalk off before looking to Merlin. "You really have a way with people."

Merlin sighed as he stood up. "I really always meant to win folks over. It's not always my fault they take it the wrong way."

He looked over at Lena, who instinctively backed up under his gaze. Merlin moved a hand forward and Kara stiffened, ready to strike in an instant if he tried anything. Instead, Merlin just studied Lena, looking in her eyes before nodding. "You're you. Not her. Much like the woman I knew but…Never like she is now."

Lena shivered. "I just…I remember it." She looked to Kara. "All of it…Kara."

Kara blanched. "Lena…"

"Can we please table this until I have some clothes?" Lena blurted.

"Ah. Right."

* * *

"You're sure we can't help you?" Alex asked. They were in the middle of DEO as Merlin had changed into a nicer suit. Except for Supergirl, the team had gathered together.

He shook his head. "No. Finding Morgana is a priority but I still have my duties in my own world. I still have to wait for Arthur's return as I keep getting the feeling it might be sooner than later." He smiled softly. "This was…an experience to say the least."

"What about Lena?" Lucy asked. "Is she…"

"Real?" Merlin nodded. "Amazing as it sounds, yes. It's actually not the first time I've seen it occur. It can be off different personas or just simple good and evil halves. Often, one side just can't live without the other and thus they need to be put back together fast. Unlike other cases of a split persona, it looks like Lena truly can live on her own without Morgana."

"Much like a cloned form." For once, Brainy seemed to be accepting what Merlin was saying. "The Black Kryptonite does have that effect, splitting up a secondary form without the same otherworldly energies…"

"Magic."

"Otherworldly energies that filled Morgana. We'll have to run more tests but it appears Lena is fully healthy."

"I did a psi-scan of her," J'onn added. "Her memories are all there as well as her own feelings. I don't know if we can get as metaphysical as to say she has a soul but it does appears she is a real person."

"Those memories include everything Morgana had," Alex stated. "Including Kara's secret."

"We can handle that later. Kara's already made it clear no mind-wiping without permission."

"That sounds more up your alley," Merlin stated. He reached into his pocket to take out what looked like a small charm shaped like a dragon's head. "In case something happens with Lena or some other serious emergency, press on the nose. It'll send a signal so I can answer."

He shook a few hands before backing up. He waved his hand to create a portal floating in the air. With a final nod, he stepped through it to vanish.

Lucy shook her head. "I really didn't know what I was getting into with this job…"

Alex glanced to J'onn. "You know we're going to see him again, right?"

"No doubt."

"What about Blood?"

"Alex, when a man who can unleash a literal demonic side says he wants to be left alone, I don't need Brainy's intellect to know the best move is to leave him alone."

"Although having my intellect would increase the overall success ratio of this unit by…."

"Shut up, Brainy."

* * *

Night had fallen across National City, including the penthouse on top of the L-Corp building. Lena was staring out the window as Kara arrived. She had changed into a light robe, her hair pulled back as she gazed at the skyline before her, a glass of wine in her hands. Kara paused before entering the room, coughing to get Lena's attention.. She was in her own civilian clothes with glasses and a concerned expression "Are you…how are you?"

Lena was quiet for a long moment. "I just…I'm still trying to get my head around it." She sipped at her glass of wine. "It's just so…weird. I have the memories of my life, all the science I learned, all the lessons, the good and the bad…And yet I know none of it is real."

"I've learned that 'being real' has a different meaning to a lot of people," Kara noted. She faced Lena. "Are you… I mean, with us…"

Lena smiled softly. "I think being upset about you hiding your secret life would be more than a bit hypocritical from me. I understand, though." She reached to put a hand on Kara's. "It must be hard…Being someone else so often."

"I'm not," Kara replied. "I just…I had my periods when I tried to be just Kara. Or just Supergirl. But that whole mess last month made me realize that I can be both. That both sides are just as important, not just to the world…but myself to." She smiled to Lena. "You can do that too, Lena. You don't have to be held by what Morgan was. You can be your own person. The good person I know you are."

"Maybe…" Lena mused. "The realization I'm not really a Luthor does help. I know I'm not condemned to follow any evil legacy. I can be a good help and redeem the name."

Kara sighed. "About…Lillian…."

"I know." Lena looked off. "I remember. God, terrible as it is…I can't say I'm that sorry about what happened. Not after all she'd done. Yet…it still hurts a bit."

"That proves you're still you," Kara pressed. "Morgana wouldn't care at all."

Lena sipped her wine again. "I guess that's a good thing. I need to figure out my life…as myself. My real self now."

"Good," Kara said. "You deserve it." She put a hand to Lena's shoulder. "I'm there, whatever you need."

Lena smiled warmly. "Thank you, Kara." She brushed her hair back. "Ugh, I need to figure out what to do next." She waved around the room. "The office is still a mess and I don't want to think of the press over what I've been up to…"

"Cat can help with that," Kara stated. "So can I. Trust me, it's amazing how we can sell the public on some sort of imposter."

Lena nodded as she stood up. "I suppose so. It can be tricky but at least I can make some calls…" She waved her hand and her phone flew off her desk and into it. Both Lena and Kara stared at it blankly. "Did…did you just…" Kara began.

Lena slowly placed the phone back down on the desk. She backed up to hold her hand out. The phone shook then once more floated into Lena's hand. She stared at it in wonder as Kara carefully stepped forward. "What…just happened?"

Lena licked her lips. "I'm not sure. Maybe…some residual effect of Morgana left behind? All that energy would have been too much for just one form. Perhaps some of it…lingered on me when the Black Kryptonite split us." She shook her head as she looked at her hand. "This is…quite a change. It's something I need to study on to understand more."

Kara smiled at her. "Looks like you may still have a little magic in yourself. Maybe this time you can use it to really help the world."

Lena looked at her hands and softly smiled. "Lena Luthor, heroine. Lillian would hate that." She smiled more. "Which is just why it's the right thing to do."

Kara laughed with her as she hugged her newly reborn friend.

* * *

 **Earth-19999**

 **England**

To the outside, it looked like a simple, run-of-the-mill cottage on the outskirts of Sheffield. The rare visitor or passerby would see nothing unusual about it, a small spot with a tiny garden surrounded by a stone gate. If one were to enter (which would be impossible without the right spells or permission of the owner), they would see a huge interior with a library larger than a college campus building and numerous other rooms.

Merlin walked about them, making his way past the secondary library and to a set of stone steps. He walked down them, pausing to light a torch before heading into a dark tunnel. He walked a hundred paces before he entered the huge cavern underneath the home. He placed the torch onto a holder before facing the large form on the platform taking up the majority of the cavern. "Did you know?" he called out. "That she still lived?"

The rattle of chains echoed as the scaled creature lifted its head. Its wings shook against its bonds, massive metal shackles covering them and his claws. Its grey scales shimmered in the dim light as did his huge eyes which focused upon the warlock. " _Of whom do you speak_?" the creature said in a booming voice.

"I grew tired of your games centuries ago, Kilgharrah," Merlin snapped. "Morgana!"

The dragon sniffed. " _Contrary to what you seem to believe, I am not omniscient, Merlin. No, I did not know of her survival or whereabouts. Only when you knew. Such is the curse you bestowed upon me."_

"It wasn't a curse," Merlin snapped. "Merely a linking spell so I might understand better your knowledge…"

" _Understand? Or control_?" The dragon shook himself up to a sitting position as he studied the warlock. " _What happened to that kind hearted youth I once knew?"_

"He grew up," Merlin snapped. "He realized your manipulations after finding out your survived your seemingly 'noble death'. After you failed to tell him about the cost of his sacrifices. In Arthur. In Morgana. In all of it."

The dragon sighed out. " _So many hundreds of years have you lived…and yet you remain so young and foolish. So much learned and yet still without the proper knowledge to use it. Even today, keeping me chained to use my power when you know it is wrong."_

"You taught me to do what it took to achieve the destiny meant for Arthur," Merlin said. "Not my fault you were a good teacher."

The dragon settled back into his spot and gave the equivalent of a shrug. " _I also taught you to be careful of forcing your feelings onto destiny, Merlin. Your obsession with Morgana will still be an undoing if you pursue it. It was once out of love, now out of hate. Either way, it can ruin what you attempt to build."_

Merlin turned away and began to walk back up the tunnel. "I'm going to check on her, see if I can track a link through the multiverse and planes of reality."

" _And then? Hunt her down and destroy her_?"

"You wanted me to at one time."

" _That was the past. It is to the future you must be looking, Merlin. I wish you do so with the right vision."_

"My vision is fine, Kilgharrah," Merlin called over his shoulder as he walked off. "I know where my destiny lies."

The dragon waited for him to be gone before softly whispering. _"No, my poor, foolish warlock. You can never dream where your destiny lies. Neither you….or her…."_

* * *

It was somewhat surprising that she didn't feel too much in pain when she awoke. The first time she had gone through the reality-breaking portal, it had left her in agony for hours. This time around, aside from a few aches, Morgana felt much better as she opened her eyes.

Morgan brushed at her clothing, wincing as she rose to her feet. She looked about, taking in the dark chambers, recognizing the symbols on the ground. "I compliment your research," she called out. She kept her voice calm even as she knew that whoever was watching was close by and kept herself alert. "I haven't seen anyone actually marking my family line correctly in centuries."

"I was taught well." The voice was cold but also powerful, echoing with a bearing that almost sounded…regal. There was an echo to it Morgana couldn't quite place. What she could pinpoint was a source of amazing power from a figure willing to use it.

"Perhaps not enough," Morgana snapped. "Or you'd know how dangerous it is to try and contain me."

"Contain?" A chuckle broke out and somehow, Morgana knew it was a sound this voice didn't make too often. "I have no wish to contain you, Morgan Le Fay. I helped bring you home for a reason…" By this point, Morgana had peered through the darkness to see a shape before her, a figure in some sort of cloak. "I wish…to learn."

Morgana blinked. "I beg your pardon?"

"I am a great genius, madam. One more brilliant than you, or any on this planet, can conceive." It was not a boast but a simple statement of fact. "Magic is as much my heritage as science. However….as much as it pains me to acknowledge it…I am still not as knowledgeable of magic as I should be. One of your experience and might can be a good teacher."

Morgana raised an eyebrow. "And why should I help you? I can turn you into ash with a simple spell."

"You can try." The words "and fail" were left unspoken but clearly said in the silence. "But considering I am the only aid you have here…"

"I can do without allies."

"True. But in your weakened state, how long before Merlin finds you? My combinations of science and magic can block his attempts to locate you. For a time."

Morgana narrowed her eyes, musing on her chances. As much as it galled her, it was true that this stranger had aided her and could be of use in the future. If nothing else, it would be a chance to perhaps learn what had changed on her world since she'd left and use that knowledge. "I suppose I can make do for now." She brushed at her coat. "I assume I'll have accommodations?"

"I have plenty of room," the voice dryly stated. "There is but one rule you hold to. Never forget who is in control of this land."

She snorted. "You think you can dictate to me? I was a queen long before your great-great-grandparents were born. I am a sorceress of incredible might. Who do you think you are that you can order me about?"

"I?" The figure slowly stepped forward into the light. The green cloak and cape flowed about him with the silver armor. A hood covered his head with a metallic mask covering his face. All that could be seen were a pair of eyes that were colder and darker than anything Morgana had ever seen before. She couldn't help but feel a shiver cover her entire body as it struck her that this was a darkness she could only imagine ever achieving.

"I…am _Doom_."

* * *

 **A hint that all those cemturies of years of life may have made Merlin not as noble as he once was. And Doom and Morgana do have a…unique past in the comics to play into. And the idea of splitting Lena off was in my mind as enjoyed still having her around as an aide to Kara.**


End file.
